Wolfenstein: Rising Sun
by KV1789
Summary: We've seen what happened in Europe, but what would happen if the Nazis didn't betray Italy and Japan during the war? Read the story of Japanese soldier Tatsumi Tojo, as he discovers that the peace his country promises comes at a price, a price that can only be paid in war.
1. Baptism by Fire

October 1960. It had been 14 years since the Second World War. The one which was lost not by the Axis, but by the Allies. Germany had taken over Europe. Italy had control over the Middle East and North Africa. Japan had all of Asia and the U.S. and Canada were split between it and Germany. South America agreed not to mess with them, however refugees from the North, Europe and Asia had overcrowded it, being the last continent without Axis influence. Since then, the world has been changed. Historically, culturally, religiously, and politically. It was the era of the jackboot. Now the people today are led to believe that the Axis were the good ones, fighting against the capitalist greed of the Allies. To them, society has been perfect ever since...or is it?

* * *

 **Pyongyang, The Imperial Province of Korea, October 1960**

Explosions rocked the city of Pyongyang since the early morning hours. The Korean rebel forces had managed to stockpile enough weapons and stolen military vehicles to lay siege to the city. It was easy, since the Imperial Japanese Military had trouble scouting the areas in the northern region and in the Chinese region near it. Mitsubishi H-120 "Hachidori" helicopters carrying troops to the frontline received heavy fire from captured AA guns positioned on buildings. In one of the choppers was new recruit, Pvt. Tatsumi Tojo, and his two fellow soldiers and childhood friends, Pvt. Sayo Hanta and Pvt. Ieyasu Basaka. Tatsumi and Ieyasu were automatically drafted due to the requirement that all male Japanese who have graduated high school have to serve in the military for at least 4 years. Sayo signed up since their village needed as much money as they could earn due to most of their parents and the adults in the village reaching retirement age. They had to rely on the kids now, and it wasn't only them who had work for it. There were many others, and they would send a significant portion of their salaries from the government or businesses they work for back to their hometown

"Jeez! That was close!" Ieyasu said as a flak shell exploded near the chopper. The drop point was still a long way, and they had to deal with all the things being thrown at them. He adjusted his helmet, which was already about to fall off his head.

"ETA 15 minutes!" The pilot shouted. Their superior, Sgt. Shiki, stood up and announced to the men.

"Listen up! The rebels' FOB is near our drop point! We and the 2nd Rifles will perform a pincer attack to surround the enemy and eliminate their leadership! Understood?"

All shouted in unison, "HAI!"

"Very good! Be warned! There are many ambush points where the rebels will try to eliminate us. But I pray to the divine Emperor that his grace and wisdom will guide us all in eliminating this threat to our peace." Shiki proclaimed.

"T-Tatsumi-kun. I'm scared." Sayo said as she was gripping her Arisaka Type 104-SA rifle. It was their first deployment in combat, and they weren't expecting a huge battle as their baptism by fire.

"It's okay, Sayo. Me and Ieyase are scared too." Tatsumi said as he looked over at Ieyase who was apparently brimming with excitement.

 _"So much for being scared..."_ Tatsumi thought to himself. Suddenly, a nearby chopper exploded, startling everyone in their chopper.

"HOLY SHIT!" Ieyasu shouted. "At least that wasn't us!"

"Don't jinx it, Ieyase!" a soldier said as he nudged him.

"ETA 5 minutes!" The pilot shouted once more.

"Okay men get ready to-" Sgt. Shiki was cut off by an explosion caused by a rocket to the side of the helicopter. It blew off the left side door and damaged the rotors.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Everyone shouted as the chopper started spiraling to the ground. Tatsumi lost his grip on the handrail they were holding on and fell out the chopper.

"TATSUMIIII!" Sayo and Ieyase screamed as their friend fell out. Tatsumi fell onto the roof of a building, breaking his fall but instead he sled down uncontrollably off it since it was a tiled roof. He ended up falling off it and fell face-first on the ground. Because of that, he received a rather large cut on the right side of his face. The impact knocked him into a dazed and semi-conscious state. As he was fading in and out of consciousness for a few minutes, he felt someone drag him into a building. He was not able to see this person clearly, but he could make out that his "savior" was female, wearing all black. He felt the woman dress his cut and bandage it. Afterwards, he heard a few gunshots and when he opened his eyes, his rescuer was gone.

Tatsumi was out for around 30 minutes when the sound of Sayo and Ieyasu calling for him through his radio woke him up.

"Tatsumi! TATSUMIIIII! Do you copy?!" Sayo shouted.

"BRO! You okay?!" Ieyasu shouted as well.

Tatsumi pulled himself up using a nearby table. He groggilly picked up his rifle and answered their calls.

"Uhhhnnnn...I...copy..." He suddenly felt a sharp pain on his right cheek.

"Agh!"

"Tatsumi! Are ya hurt?" Ieyasu responded after hearing him cry in pain.

"I...have a cut on my...right cheek..."

"Is it deep?" Sayo asked.

"No...where are you guys?"

"We don't really know. Just look for some black smoke near your area. That's our crash site." Sayo replied.

"Ok..." Tatsumi limped to the door of the building he was in. It looked like a bar. He looked out and saw around 5 dead rebel soldiers. _'Whoever saved me must've killed these guys...guess that explains the gunshots I heard,'_ Tatsumi thought. He resumed limping outside and stopped in the middle of the road. He looked around him. The street was littered with burned out cars, the bodies of dead civillians, craters, rubble and smoke from other fires raging across the city. He spotted a particularly large plume of smoke nearby. He immediately contacted his friends again.

"I see a large plume of smoke. That you guys?"

"I think so, bro." Ieyasu replied.

"I'm gonna head over there. Tatsumi, out."

He went in the direction of the smoke. The smell of decomposing corpses, burning ashes, and gunpowder filled the air. It made Tatsumi sick but he kept himself from throwing up. The area was not that far, as it seemed to be a few meters away. There were still helicopters in the sky, some of them he saw shot down in a similar manner to his chopper. The IJAF haven't been able to deploy their J7W2 Shindens due to reports of "possible bad weather", so only the helicopters were permitted. It would've been over in a moment, but without the air force to hammer the rebel positions, it was gonna be a long day.

Tatsumi cut through an alley. He was on the other street now, just where he wanted to be. The chopper was a just a few meters in front of him. There were still a few soldiers standing around. Sgt. Shiki was on the radio. Sayo and Ieyasu were sitting down under an old bus stop. Tatsumi noticed that Ieyasu had a bandage wrapped around his head. Tatsumi limped faster towards them.

"SAYO! IEYASU!" They stood up and approached Tatsumi. Sayo shouldered him and brought him to the bus stop shade. Sgt. Shiki saw him and went over.

"Private Tojo! Your friends here were worried sick about you. You're a very lucky man to survive that fall."

Tatsumi scratched his head awkwardly. "Yeah, sir. I guess you could say that."

Shiki noticed the large bandage on Tatsumi's right cheek. "Can you manage with that wound on your face, Private? We need all the men we can get if we're gonna push those rebels outta here."

Tatsumi nodded. "I can. Don't worry about me, sir."

"It's a leader's duty to care for his subordinates. If you insist, Private." Shiki turned back to the rest of his men. The wounded were to be left behind with a few soldiers to guard them until the evac chopper he was calling for arrived.

"Alright, boys! LISTEN UP! Our current objective is to regroup with the rest of the 1st Rifles! Stay alert! The rebels have already holed up in this sector of the city, so be prepared for ambushes and the like." Shiki cocked his Type 104 rifle.

"LET'S MOVE!"

"Yes, Sergeant!" They all replied. Shiki's unit of ten men proceeded down the street.

"Hey...uh, Ieyasu? What happened to you?" Tatsumi said as he pointed at the bandage on Ieyasu's head.

"This? I hit mah head real bad when the chopper crashed. It's ok though. Don't hurt so much." Ieyasu said as he loaded his Type 92-I machine gun. "This ain't gonna stop me from havin' a great time!"

Sayo shook her head, "Seriously? Fighting a war is fun for you, huh?"

"Well...the rebels have it coming to them don't they?"

They all walked down the street. It was about to end at building in front of them and it would split off into an intersection when a machine gun started firing on them from that very building.

"MACHINE GU-" A soldier shouted as she got cut apart by the MG. The rest of the squad ran took cover behind the piles of rubble and destroyed cars that line the street. More rebel troops proceeded to open fire from the building.

"I need suppressing fire on that machine gun!" Shiki shouted. He then looked at another group of soldiers.

"You guys! Flank that piece of shit!"

Tatsumi, Sayo and Ieyasu fired their weapons in the direction of the building. Sayo picked off the rebels at the windows. Tatsumi and Ieyasu fired away at the machine gun, which was protected by a reinforced bullet shield. Some of the other soldiers were cut down in the process. The flanking team got into position and threw a few Type 60 grenades into the MG nest. It blew up, sending the rebels flying out. Out of the ten, only 6 survived.

"Well, guys. Enjoy your first firefight?" Shiki asked the survivors. The others looked at each other with an unsure look on their faces. "Yeah. Not so enjoyable isn't it? You better get used to it, though. Anyway we gotta move ou-"

A shot echoed through the street. Shiki's head was blown off by a sniper.

"SERGEANT!"

* * *

*Author's Note*

Wolfenstein X Akame ga Kill...I just had the thought of making this due to me watching a playthrough of the Wolfenstein series of games (RtCW, Wolfenstein 2009, and The New Order/The Old Blood) and Akame ga Kill. Then I just said "Fuck it. Why not?" Anyway leave some reviews on what'cha guys think of this chapter. I might make more. /:)


	2. Storming the City Hall

"SHIT! SNIPER! GET IN THE BUILDING!"

The surviving members of Shiki's squad took cover in the same building they cleared out. A rebel sniper was firing on them from the street on the left. They could've gone the other way but that street was blocked and the street the sniper was covering was the shortest route to the rally point.

"We need to take out that sniper before we can move out! Anyone here a good shot?" One of the soldiers asked.

Sayo raised her hand, "Well...I am a sharpshooter...but I need somebody to lure the guy out."

The other five looked at each other.

"Not me."

"I ain't doing that!"

"Nope."

"No way I'm going to be the bait! I have a future!"

That only left Tatsumi, so they all looked at him. He sighed.

"Fine...I'll do it."

The other four sighed in relief. Ieyasu, on the other hand, was eagerly pushing Tatsumi outside.

"Hey! Wait a minute-!" Tatsumi said as he struggled against Ieyasu. "What the hell, man? Are you trying to get me killed?"

"Good luck, man!" Ieyasu said to him, seemingly oblivious to his friend's objections. Soon after, Tatsumi was pushed out the building.

"DAMMIT, IEYASU!" He shouted at Ieyasu as he hurriedly ran into the building. Sayo looked at Ieyasu with a pissed off expression on her face.

"Did you really have to do that?" She asked him.

"Well at least we have our sniper bait!" He replied confidently. The other soldiers facepalmed at his obliviousness to the tenseness of the situation.

Tatsumi nervously aimed his rifle at the building the sniper was assumed to be in.

"Uhh...S-Sayo? W-What do I do now?" He asked through the radio.

"Do something to get his attention. We need to see where he is." She replied as she was positioning herself near a window.

"Like what?" He said.

"I dunno. Fire your gun at the building, taunt him, just make some noise and find some cover immediately." She started adjusting the scope on her Type 104 rifle. It was the only attachment available for the standard-issue rifle. It was only a 4x Zoom Scope but it would make do.

The other soldiers (and Ieyasu) were watching Tatsumi ready his rifle. He fired a few shots at the building. However, the sniper didn't seem to take notice.

"Where is he?" He thought.

Suddenly, a loud shot and a flash of light rang through the street. Everyone saw Tatsumi fall down, although Sayo managed to see the window where the sniper fired from. He moved to a different position.

"BRO! Someone cover me! I'm bringing him in!" Ieyasu shouted as he ran to drag Tatsumi in to the building again. The other soldiers took positions at different windows and started firing at the building.

"Aww shit, man! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have let you be the bait." He said as he dragged Tatsumi in. The other soldiers stopped firing to look at what happened to him.

"Anyone here a medic?!" one shouted.

Nobody answered.

"Shit..."

"Let's just look for the wound," Ieyasu said, his voice not so giddy after what happened. Luckily, the sniper only hit the shoulderplate of Tatsumi's body armor. They all sighed in relief.

"Ohhh man...am I bleeding?" Tatsumi asked.

"Nah. You're good, Tojo." A soldier answered.

"I am never doing that again." Tatsumi sat up while glaring at Ieyasu and looked at his shoulderplate. There was a fairly large dent on the shoulderplate, but the bullet ricocheted off it.

"I need another person to be the bait, guys! He's on the fourth floor but I need him to expose himself clearly before I can shoot him!" Sayo shouted down.

"I'm on it!" Ieyasu ran outside.

"HEY! YOU! YEAH I'M TALKIN' TO YOU IN THE BUILDING! YOU CAN'T SHOOT FOR SHIT!" He shouted at the enemy sniper.

"IEYASU! Get back in here! You're gonna get yourself killed!" Tatsumi shouted at his friend, who was busy shouting all sorts of insults at the enemy sniper, who was already getting irritated.

"YOU THINK YOU'RE SO PRO?! SHOOT ME! COME ON! SHOOT MEEEEEEE!" Ieyasu screamed as he fired his machine gun at the building.

The sniper was already fed up with how annoying Ieyasu was. "What an idiot..." he said as he stood up closer to a window, inexplicably exposing himself to Sayo, who was aiming her rifle at his head from across the street.

"This is too easy," she said to herself.

The enemy sniper aimed at Ieyasu's forehead and was about to fire just as-

 **B** **ANG** **!**

The sniper and Sayo fired their shots at the same time. Sayo's shot ripped through the sniper's head, blowing his brains out while his shot flew right above Ieyasu's head, knocking his helmet off and exposing his hachimaki headband. Everyone was stunned.

"Oh...my...I killed him. GUYS! HE'S DEAD!" Sayo shouted down to the soldiers, who immediately started celebrating.

"YEAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"EAT THAT YOU PESKY BASTARD!"

"FOR SERGEANT SHIKI!"

Tatsumi took a deep breath. _"Phew...thank the heavens..."_ _h_ e thought to himself. At least he didn't lose his best friend, who was busy firing his machine gun in the air in a fit of joy.

"Hey, guys? I don't wanna crash the party but we need to get going." he said to the others.

"Huh? Oh. Tojo's right, people. We oughta move it. The others are waitin' for us." One of the soldiers said.

"Then what are we waiting for then? Let's move!" another said.

"I'll be right down, guys. IEYASU! Stop wasting your ammo!" Sayo said as she made her way downstairs.

As she went downstairs, Tatsumi and the others prepared and double-checked their equipment and reloaded their rifles. Ieyasu...was still shooting his gun up in the air.

"FUCK YEAH, MOTHERFUCKER!"

"GODDAMMIT, IEYASU!"

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

"Command. I have reached the city hall. The plan worked. There isn't much troops around here."

"Good work. Proceed with your objective."

"Understood. Out."

* * *

 **Back at the intersection...**

"Where is the rally point anyway?" One of the soldiers asked as they exited the bulding.

"I'm pretty sure it's at the Main Street leading to the city hall. The rebels have been using it as a Forward Operating Base ever since the city fell in their hands." Tatsumi replied.

Their radioes suddenly sounded with the voice of the leader of the 2nd Rifle Infantry Brigade, Major General Fuyuki Akatsuki.

"All units of the 2nd Rifle Infantry Brigade , proceed to the rally point at Main Street. We will begin our assault at 1500 hours," he announced.

One of the soldiers looked at his watch. It was already 2:30 PM.

"Uh oh. We need to get there fast! I do NOT want to know what kind of punishment we're gonna get if don't arrive in time. That is, if he WILL give us one..." Akatsuki was known to be a by-the-book type of general whose style of commanding clashed with his peers. He always demanded strict discipline from his troops, something Tatsumi and Sayo could give but not Ieyasu. Although he is understanding, at times give his troops some freedom to act as they wish if it benefited them according to their fellow soldiers.

As they walked, Sayo spotted a van parked in a garage nearby.

"Does that thing still work?" She asked as she pointed at it.

"I dunno. Worth a try though. We need wheels." A soldier replied. They went to the garage, which looked to be a former auto body shop. Tatsumi, Ieyasu and the other soldiers looked around if there were any traps set up, but luckily there were none. The soldier opened the hood of the van. Fortunately, it still had an engine. He broke the window, opened the door and started hotwiring it and soon after, the engine started up.

"Ahh...nothing like the sound of a working engine. Get in!"

They all got in the van and sped off towards the rally point. Luckily for them, they did not encounter any rebels along the way. When they arrived they noticed that they were very few. Only almost 1,900 soldiers were present, counting the Major General. He noticed them park and exit the van.

"Woah. Grand entrance, boys." He said as he walked towards them. They spotted him approaching them.

"Oh crap! It's General Akatsuki!" One of the soldiers said. They all saluted hastily as he neared.

"At ease, everyone." As they all put down their hands he turned to Tatsumi.

"Private. Where's your Sergeant?" He asked.

"Sir. He's..." Tatsumi paused as he looked at the ground slowly. "...dead."

The Major General put his hand on Tatsumi's shoulder. "I'm sorry to hear that, Private. Unfortunately we don't have time to mourn our losses right now..." He said as he removed his hand and looked at everyone else.

"All of you get into formation!" He shouted. All the other soldiers who were resting or talking immediately stopped what they were doing and stood in formation while the Major General walked to the front of it.

"You already know the objective. We will split into three groups. The first group will take the North-East entrance. The third will take the South-East and the second will take the East entrance. We will then push on into the City Hall complex and take out the leadership. Do you understand?"

"HAI, SHŌSHŌ!" Everyone answered in unison.

"Very good." The Major General pulled out his radio and contacted the commander of the 1st Rifle Infantry Brigade, General Mashima Rukotaro.

"General Rukotaro. Let us begin the assault." He said.

"Roger that, Akatsuki." The other general replied.

"MOVE!" A soldier shouted. All of them did as told. Tatsumi, Sayo and Ieyasu were part of the East group so they would directly assault the city hall.

"Awww yes! This is where the real fun begins!" Ieyasu excitedly cocked his machine gun.

"Whatever, Ieyasu. I hope this doesn't turn out like what happened a while ago." Sayo said as she rolled her eyes

Tatsumi just laughed and shook his head. At least this time, they would finally drive the rebels out of the city and restore order. If they didn't, the rest of Korea would be probably be doomed. That was what they were told, anyway. They passed the gates, and accompanied by a Type 7 Tsunami amphibious battle tank, made their way to the City Hall.

* * *

 **Meanwhile...**

"Command. I see that the diversionary troops have arrived."

"Get out of there. They are unaware of your presence in the complex. Where is your current location?"

"Mayor's office. Or rather, the rebel leadership's last resting place."

"They're storming the building as we speak! Get out of there now!"

"Understood. Out."

* * *

 **Outside the City Hall...**

Nobody fired a shot. Surprisingly, there was little resistance when they approached the city hall, only surrendering rebels. Ieyasu was disappointed since they weren't involved in a firefight. Sayo elbowed him because of that, nagging him on how that would be bad for government property. Tatsumi fely a weird feeling though.

 _"I don't know why, but I have a feeling that someone else is here…"_ Tatsumi was in such deep thought that he did not notice the lamp post directly in front of him.

 **BONK!**

"OW!" He said as he fell down.

"Tatsumi! Are you alright?" Sayo heard the loud sound as Tatsumi's helmet collided with the lamp post. Instead of helping him up, Ieyasu kept on laughing.

"Private Tojo!" Apparently even Major General Akatsuki heard it as well. He was laughing at him as well.

"Watch where you're going next time!" He said. "You're lucky I'm not in a bad mood today, or else I would've sent you in the City Hall alone!"

Tatsumi was so out of balance that Sayo had to help him up. He could see stars flying around his head.

"Uhhhnnn...I'm...uhhhhh...sorry...won't let it...happen again...Oof!" He almost lost his footing.

"Hahahahaha! Just like high school!" Ieyasu said. Sayo pushed him off. "Hey! What gives?"

"PREPARE TO STORM THE BUILDING!" Akatsuki ordered.

They linked up with the West group. The sappers blew the doors up and they all poured into the building. Tatsumi's squad would be part of the team that would storm the topmost floor and the mayor's office.

"FIRST FLOOR CLEAR!" the first floor squad shouted.

"SECOND FLOOR CLEAR!" the second floor squad shouted.

"THIRD FLOOR CLEAR!" the third floor squad shouted.

"FOURTH FLOOR CLEAR!" the fourth floor squad shouted.

Tatsumi, Sayo and Ieyasu were part of the fifth floor squad. They cleared the rooms of the fifth floor with relative ease. Many of the rebel soldiers they found in the rooms and hallways seemed to have been cut apart like meat loaves with a katana. What was even more odder was that it seemed that some of the corpses looked like they had been fried with electricity as well. This, combined with the horrid stench of fried corpses, disgusted them. They did not pay so much mind as they were focused on their last task. The only room left to clear out was the mayor's office.

"Ok, Private Tojo. Plant the breaching charge." The sergeant in charge said as he threw a breaching charge to Tatsumi since he was closest to the doorway. Tatsumi placed it on the door.

 **BLAM!**

Tatsumi and the rest stormed in the fairly large office. Through the smoke, Tatsumi noticed a familiar-looking figure. The same figure he saw earlier. His savior.

 _"You…"_ Time seemed to stop for a second as he tried to get a clear view of the female figure, but this was interrupted by the shout of a soldier.

"OPEN FIRE!"

The figure was lucky that due to the smoke the soldiers couldn't get a good shot. It opened a window and jumped out. Tatsumi ran to the window but the person was gone. A few soldiers ran to him.

"Tojo! You get a good look at the person?" A female soldier asked him.

"No." He replied to the female soldier.

"Ground floor! You see anyone running out there?" Another soldier asked into his radio.

"Negative. We heard some gunfire though. What happened? Tried to resist?" the responder asked.

"No. Someone else was here. Don't know if rebel or not. They just jumped out the window earlier."

"Copy that. We'll inform you if we find 'em. Mochida out."

Tatsumi was still looking out the window as the rest of them started to secure the building.

 _"Who are you?"_ He wondered.

* * *

 **Outside the City Hall...**

"Lieutenant! That was a close call! They nearly discovered you." the officer on the other line spoke in a relieved tone.

"I have the pictures to confirm the kills, Command," Akame replied in a monotone voice, unfazed by the events that transpired.

"Good work, Captain Irugaki. Return to base immediately. The rest of the Army will handle the remaining rebels."

"Understood. Out." She said as she placed a camera into a pouch on her belt. As she stealthily made her way to her extraction point, she wondered about the soldier who went in first but didn't fire at her.

 _"That soldier...was he the same one who fell off the chopper? Did he...recognize me?"_

She shook her head.

 _"No. He was out cold. There is no possibility. But...if that was him, he's an impressive one."_

Akame continued running.


	3. A Sudden Recall

**Location: IJA Forward Camp, Pyongyang, Imperial Province of Korea**

 **Time: 1900 hours...**

The night had started to fall as the city was being cleared out of remaining rebels. More reinforcements had arrived after the City Hall Complex was liberated. Tatsumi's unit was relieved, and so they remained at the camp until further orders were given. Tatsumi however, was seated on a bench with his rifle in hand, contemplating about the events that happened that day. Sayo and Ieyasu had gone off to eat with the rest of his squad, leaving him behind. A radio that was left open by a fellow soldier was still blaring loudly, broadcasting reports of the progressing situation.

"Hey, Tojo. What's up? You look kinda down. Something bothering you?" A fellow soldier, Ryu, asked as he sat down beside him. Ryu was a friend of his from a different squad. They used to be squad mates until he was transferred to a different unit.

"Oh. Ryu. I haven't seen you in a while," Tatsumi said without looking at him, eyes still fixated on the floor. "A LOT is bothering me right now. Especially since I fell off our helicopter, saw my commanding officer's head explode in front of my face, and almost got shot by the same guy who blew his head off..."

Ryu patted his back. "Things like that...just happen y'know? Being a soldier ain't easy." Ryu then stood up again. "Hey. Why don't we go eat something. Take your mind off everything that happened earlier. Besides, you look pretty famished right now."

Tatsumi smiled a little. "Yeah. Sure. I'm getting pretty hungry myself." He said as he stood up, slung his rifle over his shoulder and followed Ryu to the makeshift mess hall. However, what was really troubling Tatsumi was the person who saved him. The female couldn't have been a fellow soldier, or a rebel. Maybe a civilian perhaps? Nevertheless, he wanted to thank whoever she was.

* * *

 **Much later...**

"...Now we have a report from the IJA Command about the situation in The Imperial Province of Korea. Forces led by Major Generals Akatsuki and Rukotaro have managed to eliminate the leaders of the Korean People's Army. For over the past four days, the communist rebels who were inspired by the former Soviet Union have laid siege to the provincial capital of Pyongyang. It appears that they have managed to stockpile loads of vintage and stolen weaponry and equipment in preparation, giving our military a hard time in liberating the city. The generals, supervised by General Najenda, were able to attack the city hall which was being used as a headquarters for the rebels..." The radio continued blaring news reports regarding today as all the troops at the camp were preparing to sleep. As the camp was hastily put up after the liberation of the city, there was barely any tents to sleep in. The soldiers decided to sleep in the buildings nearby that weren't destroyed as it started to drizzle.

Tatsumi couldn't really sleep. Ieyasu was snoring loudly, as usual. His arms and legs splayed out on the floor like a guy who looked like he got punched out by a boxer. Sayo was the opposite. She was sleeping quietly, the pale light coming from a lit electric lamp not so far away illuminating her face. There were other soldiers with them, some from different units who happened to be there when they got to the building. The building in question appeared to be a hotel, judging from the look of the first floor, which they were staying in.

Trucks could still be heard passing through. The noise contributed to to Tatsumi's insomnia. He was dead tired, but couldn't even close his eyes. He was still being bothered by the thoughts of what happened earlier. He couldn't help but think of who could have possibly been killed instead of Shiki or the others who he barely even knew. It could've been him, or the other two. The quickness of how Shiki died also disturbed him. It really drove home what they said back in boot camp: "At any moment, you can die. So stay vigilant."

 _"Ugh. I should really stop thinking about this."_ He thought to himself. " _If this is how life is gonna be for me, I'm gonna have to suck it up and do my job. For the sake of my village..."_ He finally started to feel his eyes getting heavier.

The radio was still on as he drifted off to sleep, getting more incomprehensible until he finally saw black.

* * *

 **The next morning...**

As the sun started to rise, everyone had the pleasure of being woken up by the sound of an extremely shrill whistle.

* **PRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTT***

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"WHA-?!"

"HUH?!"

The officer rolled his eyes and sighed. "ON YOUR FEET, SOLDIERS! We have an assembly at the city square. It is of utmost importance that we be present NOW!"

Everyone groggily stood up and fixed their equipment. Tatsumi, Sayo and Ieyasu slung their respective weapons on their shoulders and exited the hotel together with the other troops in the building.

"*yawn* Dammit. It's so early! What's so important that they had to wake us up anyway?" Ieyasu said to the other two.

"Don't ask us. We obviously don't know," Sayo said to him. Tatsumi just sighed as he looked at the sunrise. After a few minutes, the three had reached the city square, which was a fair distance away from the camp. General Akatsuki was waiting. As soon as they arrived, he started to speak.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I'm sorry that we had to interrupt your beauty sleep, but I have an important announcement to make." He said, pausing to clear his throat. "Command back in Tokyo wants us to go back to the homeland."

Upon hearing this, the soldiers started mumbling amongst themselves.

"SILENCE! Let me expla-"

"WE JUST GOT HERE!" One soldier shouted, cutting him off. "What happened back there?!" Another followed.

"I SAID SILENCE! I assure you all that nothing terrible happened back home. I just received the order last night. They said it was urgent, and that they'd explain when we arrive. We will be leaving in about 2 hours so start packing up. You are all dismissed." Akatsuki walked away to discuss other things with the other general and left the grunts to do their thing.

"We're going back? Why does command want us to go back immediately?" Tatsumi asked his two squadmates. Sayo just shrugged while Ieyasu just said "I dunno. But I guess we should start packing up as the General said, bro." "Okay, then." He replied. They all proceeded to go and pick up their duffel bags and prepare for their immediate return to Japan.

* * *

 **Berlin, Germany**

 **Time: 2100 hours...**

Berlin. The capital of the Nazis. It had been quite some time since the Second World War, and it had become the epitome of German excellence since then. It was still rush hour, with traffic clogging most of its main thoroughfares. This didn't hinder a certain vehicle traveling through the city. The vehicle in particular was a military helicopter, with the recognizable Iron Cross and swastika markings. It was not armed though, as it was a transport only for the highest officials of the Third Reich. Not really a common sight in the city as it flew moderately past several buildings towards the administrative section of the city, near the Welphaupstadt Germania area. It landed on a helipad on top of one opulent-looking building, adorned with swastika banners. A valet, dressed in a tuxedo with a red Nazi armband, was waiting. Three soldiers, armed each with MP-60s, stepped out first. One of them opened the door for the main occupant of the chopper.

"Ah. General Esdeath. The others are waiting for you." The valet said.


	4. Preparations

Standing just a few meters away in front of the valet, dressed in a black Nazi general's dress uniform, was none other than the famous General "Esdeath". She was very well-known for her accomplishments in putting down attempted rebellions in Nazi-occupied lands and for her astounding charisma, intelligence, tactical and strategical prowess, and beauty. Her name was noted by many to be odd for a woman, but no one dared question it in public out of fear. The valet was quite nervous, as it was also rumored that she was a sadist despite the countless testimonies that she was a very caring person to her men. Nevertheless, he kept a straight face as he faced her, but he noticed that she seemed to be looking at him with an unimpressed look instead of entering.

"Umm..." he mumbled nervously under his breath. "...w-what seems to be the matter, General?"

"I expected better from a valet of the Wehrmacht Officers' Club..." She said in a disappointed tone. "Do you remember your proper conduct?!" She continued in a loud, commanding tone.

The valet jumped. He forgot to greet her! _"Dammit! Why did I forget to salute and greet her?!"_ He verbally reprimanded himself. He immediately stood at attention and performed the Nazi salute towards Esdeath.

"Good evening, General Esdeath! The other generals are awaiting your arrival, ma'am!"

Esdeath eventually acknowledged him and told him to ease.

"At ease. You must always remember proper conduct... _Unteroffizier_. You're lucky I'm in a good mood today. The worst you'll get is a report of your discipline to your superior, so do not make the same mistake again, _or else._ "

The valet shuddered. "Acknowledged, General! I shall not disappoint you!" he replied.

"You better not. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a dinner to attend..." she said to him as she turned to the three other soldiers behind her.

"Soldaten. I will not have any need for your security once I enter, so you are all hereby dismissed until it is over. You have free reign to enjoy yourselves, but be sure to return here before eleven, understood?" She ordered.

"Jah wohl, General!" They said as they stood at attention.

Esdeath turned away and entered the Club. When she left, the three soldiers started snickering at the valet.

"What?!" The valet asked, annoyed.

"Look who's in trouble! You should consider yourself lucky that she didn't give you a worse punishment," The soldier replied.

"I once heard an officer who spilled her ice cream was never heard from again!" The other said. They continued laughing as the valet leaned against the wall and sighed.

* * *

"Hmmm...the Grand Dining Hall, huh. They didn't have to go this far for me..." Esdeath said as she traversed the grand halls of the Club. Officers saluted and greeted her as she passed the golden hallways which were elegantly aligned with flowers and vases, a huge difference from the mostly gray and black utilitarian look of other military structures' interiors. She eventually reached the Grand Dinner Hall, which had its own security detail guarding the entrances.

"Good evening, General Esdeath," the Black Guards said as they saluted.

They opened the doors for her as she walked towards them.

"Look who it is!" a guest exclaimed. The guest was none other than Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring, who was holding two glasses of wine. Goring eagerly handed Esdeath one of them. The rest of the other German commanders in the hall greeted her and started clapping.

"Esdeath! Glad you could make it!" General Guderian said as Goring and Field Marshal Rundstedt escorted her to her seat on the other end of the room. "I'm surprised that Wilhelm actually made it here earlier than you. He's usually busy with whatever war machines he's making in his castle-factory."

Esdeath's eyes lit up upon hearing that, and she turned to look around to see where her mentor was seated. She spotted Deathshead near her seat, speaking to several rookie generals and Bund Deutscher Madel Leader-slash-labor camp commandant, Irene Engel, who was, of course, accompanied by her much younger boyfriend, Hans "Bubi" Winkle. Deathshead turned around to face her just as she reached her seat.

"Wilhelm! For once she actually made it to a dinner!" Rundstedt said. Deathshead chuckled as he patted Esdeath on the back.

"There's always a first time for everything, Gerd," He said as he looked at Esdeath, who unusually was staying silent. "Still getting used to the atmosphere of your farewell party, huh?" he asked the blue-haired general. Esdeath took of her cap and set it on the table before scratching her head. She was so used to being on the field that being here made her feel like a fish out of water. Esdeath wasn't the kind of person to enjoy the fine things in life, for she enjoyed something else that she considered enjoyable...

"Ehehehe...yes, General Strasse, but all of you didn't need to-" She got cut off by the sound of a bell tolling.

"Excuse me, commanders. The dinner will be served in a few minutes," a waiter announced. All the officers, generals and field marshals sat down at their respective seats and resumed talking. Deathshead was seated near Esdeath, as was several others such as Reichsfurher-SS Heinrich Himmler.

"It's too bad the Furher couldn't make it today. Personal obligations with Eva he says, but he sends his regards," Himmler said to her. He pulled out a clipboard-folder and scanned it before looking up at Esdeath.

"I assume you are already prepared for your departure tomorrow?" he asked. "Of course, Himmler," Esdeath replied. "My army is already assembled at the airbases, ready to leave at a moment's notice."

Deathshead took a sip of wine and laughed. "I do hope you take care of the toys we gave you. A single Ubersoldat isn't cheap! Not to mention you have some the finest men under your command! Hah! Hah! Hah!" As he did so, Propaganda Minister Goebbels took their attention.

"I don't mean to interrupt, my friends, but I think the appetizers are here."

* * *

Some appetizers and the main course afterwards, Frau Engel had Bubi take a wine glass and tap it with a spoon to get everyone's attention.

"Ahem!" she cleared her throat. "Thank you very much, Bubi," she said to him as she stood up. "Today, we are all gathered here to wish someone a successful operation in a distant land far. far away from our beloved fatherland. Now that someone is not just a fellow general, but someone who you see as a kind and righteous individual who has upheld peace, safety and stability in the new order. And that person..." she paused as she faced Esdeath.

"...is none other than my stepdaughter, General Esdeath." They all cheered and clapped as Frau Engel raised her glass.

"A toast to her successes and safe return!" She said as all the Nazi officials raised their glasses. "Cheers!" They all spoke in unison. Esdeath could not hold back a tear as they finished the toast.

"Thank you, everyone...I am really grateful for your support for me..." she said, drying a tear with a napkin. Deathshead laid a hand on her shoulder.

"The Third Reich should be grateful for your efficiency in putting down rebellions, young woman. It would not be as peaceful as it is today if it wasn't for your work," he told her.

"Kind of like how we wouldn't be able to win the war if it wasn't for Wilhelm's research," the legendary Erwin Rommel said. Deathshead laughed in response. "Enough with the flattery, Erwin. Now let us continue to the dessert!"

A few waiters and waitresses wheeled in carts of ice cream, undeniably her favorite treat, and distributed them to everyone (Although Goring asked for a second serving).

* * *

 **Yokoksuka Joint Ground, Air and Naval Base, Tokyo, Empire of Japan**

 **Time: 1500 hours**

Even after the long trip back to Japan, the 2nd Rifle Infantry Brigade didn't get any rest. Upon disembarking from the transport plane from Korea they were all directed to assemble at a field near the hangars together with the rest of General Akatsuki's troops. Most of the soldiers unenthusiastically threw their duffel bags on the ground and sat down. Normally they would get punished for this kind of behavior, but Akatsuki himself was also just as exhausted as well, so he let it go. Using his personal command vehicle as a makeshift stage, he used a megaphone to speak to them

"Ladies and gentlemen. I am well aware that all of you are tired and possibly angry-"

"LIKE HELL WE ARE!" a disgruntled soldier shouted. Akatsuki glanced at the Kempeitai units under his command and they quickly nabbed the insubordinate soldier before anyone noticed.

"Is there anyone else who wants to say something?" he asked. The whole division simply stood in silence.

"Now as I was saying. I was just briefed by Command that we are to provide additional security for an important guest we will be having tomorrow," he announced. The troops started mumbling to each other, wondering who this was and why they were so important.

"This is what it was all about? Guard duty? Pfffft. How boring!" Ieyasu said. He was the type of guy who wanted glory, so the response was expected. Sayo, however, punched his arm.

"Ow! What?" he asked, rubbing his aching arm. "Jeez, Sayo. That was harder than usual! Does almost everything I say piss you off?"

She straightened her hair as she spoke to him. "Did you not hear that we are guarding somebody IMPORTANT? That means they could be some official from either Germania or Italy, so this is just as important as shooting rebels you wacko!"

"Although...the question is: Why do they need additional security? Ever since the terrorist bombings at Kyoto the security here has been quadrupled," Tatsumi pointed out. It was only two months ago when dissidents set off five bombs in Kyoto's government district, nearly destroying almost all the administrative structures. The city is still in martial law, and the local police department was replaced by Kempeitai due to them being labeled incompetent. The bombers were never found yet though, causing paranoia among the populace.

Akatsuki spoke again, interrupting them. "This guest is a general from the Third Reich who has expertise in putting down resistance forces. Berlin has expressed concern for our national security so they have offered us help in dealing with the rebellions across the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, so of course the Prime Minister has accepted the offer. Even with our military spread out to deal with this threat, the additional technology and forces of the Germans should prove no doubt useful in restoring peace in Asia."

The troops mumbled in understanding.

"Now as much as I want to rest, I also have orders to give all of you a refresher on ceremonial drills so pick up your bags. We're heading to the training field." Akatsuki said as he looked at a document.

The troops all groaned.

* * *

"General Najenda. Most of your requested forces have arrived," a lieutenant reported through a speakerphone. The aforementioned general was in her office at Chiyoda, performing maintenance on her prototype cybernetic arm on a workbench in her office. The office was very modest. The walls were brown with carpeted floors. Had a planning table, with a map of Asia on which the current military operations were marked. Three chairs, two for visitors and one for her was in the room as well. There were several framed photos around the room, mostly pictures of the countryside. The desk had a simple lamp and a stack of documents, not to mention the speakerphone.

"Thank you. Lieutenant," she replied as she used a tester connected to the arm to check if all parts were working properly. She tested her fingers. All worked except the index finger, which didn't fully bend away from her. She took an oil spray can and sprayed the joint a little. It worked. The phone rang, with the caller being a fellow general. That general being General Hiroki Budo.

"Akari? You there? How's the preparations going?" he asked. Najenda continued testing her arm as she replied.

"I've managed to bring in the bulk of my forces as security for the incoming Nazi general. You can never be too secure, nowadays. So far everything's going...smoothly I guess," she said as she tested her hand's rotation. It didn't go a full 360, so she added some oil. Now it finally moved.

Budo heard the slight mechanical noises. "What's all that clanking? You doing maintenance on your arm?"

"Yes. I'm probably going to have Dr. Sutairi replace it. Some parts are starting to rust, although I think I can keep it running for a few more weeks or months," she said as she wiped the excess oil from the forearm cover and re-screwed the cover. Najenda took a clean towel from the desk and wiped her head and neck with it. Afterwards, she walked over to a closet and pulled out her coat which had the right sleeve removed to make way for her bulky mechanical arm. She was only wearing a black undershirt and her officer's pants.

"In simpler terms everything here is going to plan. So Budo...how's it going in Tajiki Province?" Najenda asked while putting on her coat.

"Great. We're having supply problems as usual, the rebels here are getting the upper hand in influence, it's very sunny most of the time...I'd say it's paradise over here," he replied. "Wouldn't wanna go back to Japan 'cause of the great time I'm having."

Najenda laughed as she closed the closet to look at the mirror. A small piece of shrapnel was sticking out of the right side of her forehead. She gently rubbed the area on her face where her right eye used to be with her towel and placed an eyepatch over it.

"Heh heh heh. Sounds wonderful. Though I think it would be better if you were the one in charge here rather than me. Diplomacy isn't really my thing," she said.

"As much as smooth-talking may be my only relevant skill, I'm sure you're doing great. With Yamashita and the others busy in Southeast and South Asia, Yamamoto and the rest of the Navy in Pearl Harbor, I think it's time we let one of the 'rookies' handle official affairs. It just happens you're the best out of the bunch," Budo spoke in an assuring tone.

"Suuuuuure..." She disagreed. _"There's always someone better..."_ she thought.

"At least the Emperor's around to back you up. Prime Minister Shojiki on the other hand..." Budo trailed off, as if he couldn't say what he wanted.

"I'm pretty sure he'll 'back me up' as well," Najenda said while arranging her coat. The new IJA officers' uniforms had a single white stripe along the sleeves and shoulders, although Najenda only had one for obvious reasons. A patch on the left indicated their rank. Hers was a Lieutenant General's.

"Anyway, Akari. Good luck! I need to go. Something's going on at the outskirts of Dushanbe. I'll call again when I can to see how you're doing." Budo hung up shortly after Najenda heard some slight gunfire.

"Good luck to you too...Budo-sensei," she muttered as she stepped outside.


	5. Nihon e Yōkoso!

**Tokyo, Empire of Japan**

 **Time: The following day, 1300 hours**

The entire city was brimming with activity as the forces General Najenda ordered were on high alert. The Nazi general and the Reich's Foreign Minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop, were to arrive at any moment at the Haneda International Airport. Because of this, the shortest routes to the Imperial Palace and the Prime Minister's Residence, the _Kantei_ , were closed off for their convoys. Numerous military vehicles patrolled and were stationed in the city. Hachidori multipurpose helicopters and J7w2 Shinden Kai Nis took the skies while HT-6 Heavy Tanks, Type 7 Tsunamis and Type 3 Ho-Ki Kai APCs were stationed on the streets with significant amounts of troops to supplement them. Checkpoints were erected on major thoroughfares in the city by the Metropolitan Police and Kempeitai to inspect for any car bombs or rebels planning any terrorist attacks. However the city was not on the same level of security like Kyoto, which remained under martial law for quite some time.

The 2nd Rifle Infantry Brigade and its parent division were part of the military units assigned to supplement the honor guard at the Haneda Airport's VIP terminal and hangar. As such, Tatsumi, Sayo, Ieyasu and Tatsumi's friend, Corporal Ryu Iwazaki, were all standing at attention as the plane and the Luftwaffe air wing escorting it would be arriving soon. However, what Tatsumi didn't expect was that he was in the front row of his division, just right behind the honor guard. Sayo and Ieyasu were two rows behind him. Ryu was around ten people away from him on his left. The four divisions were separated by a long red carpet which led straight into the VIP terminal's entrance with the honor guard aligning the carpet. The entire airstrip was closed off for the Luftwaffe plane, and the hangars for the IJAF planes were open with the Shinden fighters of the Tokyo Air Defense Corps in full display. Tsunami tanks guarded the airfield entrances alongside the airport's security forces in case of any vehicles attempting to enter with malicious intent.

Meanwhile in the Kantei, Prime Minister Shojiki was hurriedly dressing up in his bedroom. He struggled to put on his tuxedo's pants.

 _"Fucking hell! I can't have gained THAT much weight in a month..."_ he thought as he forced the clasp together. He immediately put on the polo and coat. He threw the necktie around his neck and went to the bathroom to check if he was presentable enough.

Shojiki was relatively unknown before his rise to Prime Minister. He was an ambitious desk jockey in the IJA during his youth, striving to make it to the top. Mostly since he envied the luxurious lifestyle many Japanese nobles had back then. During his military career, he made connections with many government officials and businessmen, eventually making friends with key members of the zaibatsus in Japan thnaks to his natural talent at persuasion and deception. It was through his "friends", "favors" and the death of Hideki Tojo due to "health complications" that the unknown officer Dansei Shojiki ended up reaching the highest possible government position in Japan. In return, Shojiki gave the zaibatsus almost absolute permission to do anything, with the zaibatsus supporting him by helping maintain his public image and producing and developing new technologies for Japan and its military. Especially its military.

"Shusho Shojiki. General Najenda wishes to speak to you, your Greatness," one of his aides said as she handed him a radio.

"Would'ya tie up my tie please? It's hard to tie up things with one hand y'know?" he asked her.

"Of course," she said as Shojiki answered the call.

"Mmmyes, Najenda?"

"Where are you, sir? Everyone here is expecting you."

"Hold your horses, General. I'm taking care of important business right now. We have something called patience, you know."

The aide successfully muffled a laugh, which Shojiki dismissed as a cough.

"Please do hurry. Minister Ribbentrop and the specialist general will arrive soon."

"Thank you for the reminder, now I'll talk to you later," Shojiki said as he closed the radio.

"Thank you very much for tying my tie. What was your name again?" he asked the aide.

"Oh! It's, uhhh...M-Mikaru Hamada."

"Sooooo...Miss Mikaru. Do I look okay?"

"Huh?"

"Do I look presentable?"

"Well...uhhh..."

"It's alright! I can take criticism! That's why I have a good record! Hahahahahaha!"

"Errr...your hair's a bit messy, Prime Minister."

Shojiki and Mikaru stood there awkwardly for a few seconds.

"Heh...heh heh...hahahaHAHAHAHAHA! I guess I need to comb it then! Thanks a lot, Hamada. Please tell my security detail to prepare the car. I'll be out soon." Shojiki said as he faced the mirror.

"Hai, Shusho," Mikaru said as she left immediately.

 _"Hmph. I am really letting myself go...but that Hamada was cute, though...probably should keep an eye on her, hehehe..."_ he thought as he combed his hair.

* * *

"Attention, passengers. This is your pilot speaking. If you look at the windows you'll see a great view of the Great Wall of Imperial China! Aside from that, the IJAF have sent fighters to bolster our escorts. We are already in Japanese airspace. We will be reaching Tokyo soon," the pilot said.

Esdeath and Ribbentrop looked out the windows of the private jet which was supplied by Lufthansa to see the reinforced Great Wall of Imperial China down below. After the war and the Chinese armies' defeat, the Great Wall was enhanced in a joint effort between Japan and Germany to "protect from potential invaders from the uncivilized regions of Mongolia and Siberia". So in a way, the Wall was turned into a long military base mostly manned by conscripted units from both countries' puppet states. Because of that, the areas the Great Wall was built on were largely peaceful and dependent on the military for jobs.

"A pinnacle of German engineering, is it not?" Ribbentrop said as he looked outside.

"Even the Italians and the Japanese would need years to accomplish what we could in months, moreso the ones in South America."

"Indeed, Minister Ribbentrop," Esdeath quietly said.

"So we meet with the Prime Minister and the Emperor first, then I deal with the political matters while you meet up with the commanders of the Japanese military..." Ribbentrop said as he went over what they were going to do.

"That is correct, sir."

"Hmmm," he said as he arranged a folder carrying important documents.

"Just remember to make the feel Japs comfortable with the presence of our military in their territories and to not forget the true purpose of why you're here, General Esdeath. Berlin will also expect reports about your progress."

"Of course, Minister Ribbentrop."

"Sehr gut. I'm very confident that this will all go smoothly."

* * *

Tatsumi stood among the ranks of the division for quite some time now. The Army Band was already in position, ready to play the national anthems and military marches. Same with the flagbearers. They were all sweating now due to the heat of the afternoon sun, but they still held position.

 _"Ugh. It's so hot..._ _when are they going to arrive?"_ Tatsumi thought as he wiped off sweat from his left cheek. It wasn't long after when he heard the sound of jets fly by. A squadron of Horten Ho 229-J fighters flew over in perfect formation. Tatsumi looked at the runway to see a passenger jet with the marking of Lufthansa on the side with a large swastika with a red background on the tail. The jet taxied to their location and stopped with its side door a significant distance away from the front of the red carpet. Airport personnel immediately brought over a motorized boarding stairs and connected it to the door. At the other end of the red carpet, were the foreign affairs officials of the Empire of Japan.

The first people to step out the plane as the band started playing the Konnigratzer March were the Black Guard soldiers. Six heavily armored troops in black armor and prominent Reich eagle markings on their helmets. All of them were armed with STG-60 assault rifles. The next to step out was Joachim von Ribbentrop himself, dressed in formal attire and holding a folder. The next to step out took most of the soldiers by surprise as they saw a woman dressed in a gray Wehrmacht general's uniform with long, waist length blue hair and icy blue eyes. After her were six members of the all-women Elite Guard, dressed in SS formal uniforms and wielding MP-60 submachine guns.

 _"Who's that? Is she the general?!"_ Tatsumi thought as he saw Esdeath walk in front of him. As he looked at her they suddenly made eye contact for a few seconds before she glanced away. He felt as if she had gazed right through his soul, and that there was something quite off about her that he did not quite understand. Tatsumi just shrugged it off.

 _"Woah...she's quite young...if she really IS that general. How come we've never heard of her before?"_ he thought as he watched them enter the VIP terminal. He could see the photographers and reports for the media networks of the Japanese puppet states inside busy with their jobs. The band stopped playing, and the generals in charge of the divisions finally ordered their units to disperse and board several trucks nearby for their next assignment.

"Is that really the general from Germany?" Ieyasu said as he walked closer to Tatsumi. "That lady? Seriously?"

"I...I think so."

"Wow! I wish we had more people like her around! I'd follow her orders any time..." Ieyasu said with Sayo whacking the back of his head shortly after.

"YOOOOWWWWWCHH! SAYO WHAT THE FUCK!?"

"You don't talk about women like that and get away with it!"

 _"Haaaaahh...here they go again..."_ Tatsumi thought as he facepalmed and grinned while Sayo and Ieyasu got into a shouting match, which ended with the both of them getting reprimanded for their noise and behavior not long after.

* * *

"Ohhhh! So you are General Esdeath! Very unique name, you have," Emperor Hirohito said as he shook her hand. "I have heard so much about your achievements in the...uncivilized parts of Europe. Not every general is adept in dealing with resistance groups, especially in numbers like these."

"Why thank you, your Highness. I'm very flattered."

"You deserve the praise, young one. We have capable generals here, but unfortunately it seems that our military and vassal states' armies have not the proper experience with this kind of threat to our Co-Prosperity Sphere. So we are honored to have you help us." Hirohito said as he gave her a bow. Esdeath blushed as she glanced over to Ribbentrop who smiled proudly at her and gave her a thumbs up. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shojiki rolled his eyes discreetly.

 _"Even Hirohito here is sucking up to this bitch. Some great general my ass. Once our weapons programs are complete, those rebels will learn to fear us! But for now though..."_ he thought as he mustered a warm, greeting smile.

"A glorious honor to meet the Reich's best rebellion specialist!" Shojiki said as he grinned as friendly as he could while shaking her hand.

 _"...she's DAMN gorgeous!"_ he thought as he eyed her briskly so she wouldn't notice. _"If she wasn't in that uniform, I would've thought she was a supermodel! Ugh...too bad she's one of those Nazis...oh well..."_

What Shojiki was not aware of was that she did notice him ogling her. _"Lecherous dirtbag. How did this verdamnt joke of a man become PM?! I can tell that this man will be a bit of a hindrance to the operation..."_

"So you are the great Prime Minister Shojiki. An honor as well to meet you," she said as she gave him the most alluring smile she could make, with the intent to tease the man. She saw Shojiki widen his eyes for a second before regaining composure.

"Ehehe...well then...I welcome you and my buddy Ribbentrop to Japan! I hope the both of you have a wonderful stay, and that we give those rebels a good ass-whooping, eh? Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Shojiki loudly proclaimed in stark contrast to the more quiet and reserved tone of Hirohito. Many of the other officials present in the Imperial Palace were struck with embarrassment.

"Forgive the Prime Minister," the Emperor whispered to the Nazis. "He can get...carried away sometimes but he's a good man."

 _"Yeaaaah...suuuuuureeee..."_ Ribbentrop and Esdeath both thought.

"As much as I and my family would like to know you more, we all have quite a schedule to keep. Shojiki. If you may please?" the Emperor said as he faced Shojiki.

"Huh? Oh! Right! To my residence! We shall receive you there politically."

Ribbentrop, Esdeath, some of the Black and Elite Guards and a few more of Ribbentrop's entourage were led out of the palace and to the same convoy that brought them to the Imperial Palace. They entered a black Volkswagen car that was brought from Germany which was decorated with red swastika flags, while Shojiki entered a more opulent looking white, Honda limousine which was respectively decorated with rising sun flags.

"Well...that's Shojiki. A very...interesting man isn't he?" Ribbentrop asked Esdeath as she absentmindedly looked out the window.

"I...don't really like him."

"Same. I would've preferred Hideki over him, but alas. Different people have different fates."

Esdeath continued gazing out the window. She couldn't forget what she saw in that young soldier with the bandage on his cheek in the front row of the welcoming troopers. Unlike the others present, she could still sense some...innocence in him, aside from the fact that he didn't have the thousand-yard stare like most of the soldiers there.

 _"That soldier...he intrigues me. I have not sensed any kind of purity like that even in my own armies... I must find out who he is."_

Tatsumi wasn't wrong when he could feel those eyes stare into his soul.


	6. Panzerhund Problems

**Near the Tokyo Tower, Minato, Tokyo, Empire of Japan  
**

 **Time: The next day, 1030 hours**

Earlier that morning, around eight or so, it was announced that all the military units requested by General Najenda would be given a few days' worth of leave. During this time period, the Imperial General Headquarters would implement the reorganization of selected army corps as part of the joint anti-resistance operations with General Esdeath's Heersgruppe-Jager (Army Group Jager). In the meantime, the soldiers who participated in the reception of Esdeath's arrival and the who were part of the selected army corps were given the privilege to enjoy themselves until they were to be recalled for their new deployments.

There was a condition: as Najenda's units were in Tokyo and Yokohama (Although they are permitted to go vice-versa to Tokyo and Yokohama since they're adjacent to each other), they are only allowed to roam around those cities. Anyone caught leaving would be detained by the Kempeitai for attempted desertion. The other selected corps were also given the same condition, which was to only linger in the city or town they were currently at as well.

For most of the Imperial Japanese Army's troops, this was a usual thing. It was not the first time that they had to be transferred to different commands, formations and units. However, for Tatsumi, Ieyasu and Sayo, this meant that there was a huge possibility that each of them would be reassigned, separating them from each other. Ever since childhood, the three friends were always together. It was very lucky for them that they were all assigned to the same brigade, and in the same squad no less! Alas, this might be the time that they three must go down separate paths.

But that would not stop them from maintaining their friendship! Of course not!

Shortly after the announcement by their commanding officers, the three of them decided to go sightseeing, something that they were unable to do up north at their hometown of Rishiri Island. Their plan for this day was to check out some of the famous landmarks in Tokyo. At the same time, they would also send pictures and souvenirs back alongside the portion of their salaries which they were saving for each of their families and their hometown. First stop: the Tokyo Tower.

The Tokyo Tower is a lattice tower inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Vichy France, designed by architect Tachu Naito. Built with the purpose of showcasing the might of Japan and to serve as a radio and television broadcasting tower as well as an observation tower, construction of the tower was started in 1957 by the Takenaka Corporation. A majority of the steel used was taken from captured US, British and Soviet military vehicles. The tower itself stands at an impressive height of approximately 650 meters, 330 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower itself.

Oh how jealous the Germans must be! Their oversized drinking hall is only 290 meters tall!

The tower itself was only opened earlier this year. Tatsumi and Sayo were thrilled to go see the view at the Main Observatory. Ieyasu, however, was less than enthusiastic.

"You're coming with us, Ieyasu!" Sayo insisted loudly as they all stood at the entrance of the FootTown building. "Don't tell me that the 'Karate Kid of Rishiri' is afraid of heights!"

"I'm not afraid, dammit! I'm just...ehhhh..." Ieyasu said as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. _"Ohhhh man...I can't just admit that! I'm gonna be fucking screwed if the others find out!"_

Tatsumi facepalmed as he stifled a laugh. Everyone back at the island knew Ieyasu was afraid of heights. It was obvious especially since he was the only boy who didn't come along during their field trip to Mt. Rishiri, and refused to take the planes at the local airport when they were going to the Rikugun Yonen Gakkō (Military Preparatory School) at Sendai.

"C'mon, Ieyasu. Your namesake would be disappointed to find out that a scaredy-cat was named after him," Tatsumi said as he covered his mouth to hide his grin.

"Mehhhh...okaaaayyyy..." the hachimaki-wearing boy said as he looked aside with an uncomfortable face.

"But if I start barfing then that's not my fault..." he mumbled.

"What was that?" Sayo asked as she put a hand on her hip and leaned towards him.

"Nothing!"

"Do you want me to pinch your ear again?"

"Ugh! I said that it's not my fault if either of you start throwing up up there!" Ieyasu retorted.

Tatsumi and Sayo looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"What's so funny?!"

"Oh, nothing in particular that concerns you, buddy. Hey Sayo. Why don't we buy some barf bags at that supermarket before heading up the elevator to make sure we're 'ready'?" Tatsumi said as he "air quoted" the word "ready". Sayo put a hand over her mouth to muffle her snickering.

"I hate you guys."

* * *

 **Half an hour later...  
**

The line to the elevator was thankfully not very long. The three of them chose to wait in line instead of using their "special military privileges" to skip ahead.

In Japan, Germany and Italy, all who were members of the military or government, no matter how low the rank, were granted "special privileges" when availing the use of establishments like restaurants and others which required waiting until the service they provide would be given. All they had to do was show a member of the staff their I.D. or military papers that confirm their status so that they would be prioritized first. You would think that because of this, a lot of people would counterfeit military and government IDs to take advantage of this, but no. This was only allowed in major cities, where the employees of the establishments who didn't believe the authenticity of documents could contact the Kempeitai to verify them.

They didn't stay long. Sayo and Tatsumi thoroughly enjoyed the view. Of course, Ieyasu spent the entire time away from the viewing windows, holding on to the wall and trying to keep his breakfast in his stomach.

"Looks like you two wasted some money on those barf bags, eh? Hahahahahahahaha!" he said as they left the FootTown building. Tatsumi and Sayo just rolled their eyes, knowing full well that the joke was still on him.

Their next stop would be the Tsukiji Market. The three planned to have their lunch at the Yoshinoya restaurant, and to also buy some things to send back to their parents at Rishiri.

As they walked the streets towards the Hamarikyu Gardens, they could hear the sounds of helicopters heading south-east towards the Haneda Airport and Military Aviation Center. The helicopters were the light gray, dual-rotored Focke-Achgelis Fa 545 "Himmelshammer" omnipurpose choppers of the Luftwaffe. They and the civilians correctly assumed that these choppers were part of the arriving forces of General Esdeath.

One of the helicopters in particular was carrying a large metal box with the Iron Cross on it. Tatsumi wondered what was inside.

Eventually, after walking awhile, they passed by a remittance center. Tatsumi proposed that they send the money now so that they would not forget to do so later on. Sayo, however, wanted to eat already, and so did Ieyasu. So, he decided to do all the remitting himself.

"Are you sure about that, dude? What if someone tries to rob the center?" Ieyasu asked in a genuinely concerned tone.

"Pshaw! Why would anyone try to rob a remittance center in the middle of Tokyo?" Tatsumi replied amusingly. Sayo slapped Ieyasu on the back lightly.

"Hey! You never know, man!"

"I'll be fine by myself, Ieyasu. You guys go on ahead."

After exchanging a few waves, Tatsumi went in the center. Fortunately, only a sparse amount of people were there to the same thing, so the affair did not take long.

Upon leaving the center, Tatsumi consulted the nearest tourist station. He was unfamiliar with Tokyo, of course as he was an outsider to the city. He checked out the map of the vicinity. Tsukiji Market was only a long walk away.

"Hmmm. I can make good time if cut through the Gardens..." he thought as he glanced towards the Hamarikyu Gardens, only to notice a large swathe of people were loitering in it.

"Ugh. No good. Looks like I have to stick to the streets..."

And so, Tatsumi Tojo had to weave his way through the dense Tokyo crowd. While doing so, he heard what was apparently a cacophony of panicked screams. It was coming around the corner of the street behind him. He saw a large crowd and several cars fleeing from something. All the while, the crowd was screaming "KAIBUTSU!"*.

Of course, the crowd Tatsumi was part of was also influenced by the panic, so they all ran for their lives. People were shouting, pushing, shoving, and trampling each other all in the rush to escape whatever the other crowd was running from. Stalls were toppled, cars were abandoned due to the heavy traffic and those who were caught under the stampede attempted to crawl into the nearby establishments for their own safety. Tatsumi, not wanting to end up battered and trampled, dashed quickly into an alleyway to escape the chaos, only to discover it a dead end.

"Awwww no...well, at least I can wait it out..." he said to himself under his breath. _"What's going on?! There's no way there's a monster here in Tokyo! Well...if there was one our army would've killed it before it even got here!"_

His thoughts were interrupted by a small cat jumping into the alley from the fleeing crowd. It quickly climbed up the wall by using the pile of crates stacked beside it before jumping down on the other side.

"IT'S HERE! AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" a civilian shouted. Tatsumi turned to the entrance. Only a few people remained, tripping among themselves as they pointed in terror at something to the right before running away.

He heard a loud, metallic thud. It was so close to the entrance of the alley, as if something landed near it. Then, a large metal...monstrosity poked its head in.

Tatsumi froze in shock and terror.

The thing hopped into the alley like a dog, showing the terrified soldier its full form. It resembled some kind of mockery of a dog combined with a tank that towered over him. It bared its razor-sharp teeth as it hung its mouth open, mimicking a dog doing so as it let its nonexistent tongue out. It seemed to be..."sniffing" for something.

 _"OhshitohshitohshitOHSHITOHSHITOHSHIT!"_ Tatsumi thought as he frantically looked around for some way to get out of the alley. The dog-thing didn't seem like it had eyes, but it also seemed to have some kind of sense of smell. Obviously, climbing up the crates wouldn't work as it was too noisy and too fragile (As they were made of old wood). There was an escape ladder near a dumpster, but the thing was sniffing it, shooting down any hope of him attempting to climb it.

A noise which sounded like a dog's whimper being played through a speaker was heard. It came from the beast! It lowered its head in what looked like disappointment.

Then it looked at _HIM_.

Tatsumi's eyes widened in fear. As far as he knew, he didn't do anything bad. All he was supposed to do was eat ramen at a restaurant! Instead, he was going to die in an alleyway thanks to some metal beast from Hell!

He contemplated pulling out his service pistol which was holstered on his belt, hidden under his jacket. But from the looks of it, the beast looked heavily armored, and he would have to fumble with his jacket to pull it out. The Nambu would barely put a dent. It would most likely just piss it off.

And that was the last thing he wanted to happen.

The beast "barked" and crawled towards him. Well, this was it, he thought. He wouldn't be dying in battle at least, but a gunshot to the head would be a much painless way compared to getting mauled to death by sharp metal jaws.

 _"Sorry, Ieyasu. Sayo. I'm...I'm afraid I can't join you guys..."_ he thought as he closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

But the pain and death never came.

Tatsumi opened his eyes. The beast was just...looking at him. It barked twice, as if it acknowledged his presence. The way it was standing looked like it was leaning its metal head forward expecting someone to pat it.

"Huh? Wha-?" Tatsumi was bewildered. He looked at the alley to see a small amount of bystanders peering in.

"Hey look! It's cornered someone!"

"What?! Oh no, it has! Somebody call the police!"

"We don't need the police! We need the army! Get the army!"

They all ran away afterwards, leaving him alone with the metal dog-beast.

Tatsumi decided to do what seemed to be the most batshit insane thing he could think of, which at the same time appeared to be his only option.

He patted the thing on the head, the same way one would pet a dog. It whimpered in delight as a response.

"Hey...you don't...seem so bad," he said as he removed his hand. The dog immediately got on its "stomach" and barked gleefully. He looked at the large dog. He saw, printed on the side of its head in black, the name "Hektor". On its front legs were the Schutzstaffel runes and on the body was an Iron Cross and Nazi Eagle embossed into the armor.

"So your name's 'Hektor', huh?" he asked.

The dog barked twice, in a manner that seemed to say "YES!".

"Wow! You understand Japanese?"

It whimpered a little. Tatsumi interpreted it as if it was saying "A little". The realization hit him like a rock. He was chasing the cat!

"Well, what are you doing here away from your comrades?"

Tatsumi was interrupted by the sound of an incoming helicopter. A female voice that sounded like it was from a loudspeaker shouted in German: "Hektor! Hektor! Folge meiner stimme Hektor! Wo bist du?"*

Hektor immediately stood up and barked loudly as the helicopter, a Focke-Achgelis Fa 545, flew towards the Hamarikyu Gardens, which was right in front of them. The metal dog ran out to the street and jumped around as one would while barking, happy to hear its master. The road was getting small craters from each jump and each step of its feet. Tatsumi walked out of the alley to see the helicopter hovering a few meters above the road. A large amount of onlookers were present, keeping their distance from the helicopter and the dog.

The door of the 545 slid open as a German officer jumped down. Tatsumi correctly assumed that they were Hektor's master. Upon coming closer as they were "cuddling" with Hektor, he discovered that the officer was female. She had light brown hair, tied in a high ponytail, a set of headphones with a small antenna and a microphone on the right and was wearing a green officer's field uniform. After what looked like reprimanding her "dog", she looked around and saw Tatsumi. She quickly told Hektor to stay, with the dog barking once in response and sitting on its hind legs.

"Oh, hello there, freund!" she said in a very upbeat, girly tone. She quickly facepalmed.

"Ah, su-su-ahhhh...how do you say that again? Su-mi ma-sen, kamerad! If my Panzerhund caused you and your people any trouble..." she said in passable Japanese as she closed her eyes and did the wrong Japanese bow (She bowed with her hands on her sides. For women, you bow with your hands on top and in front of your thighs).

"...I assure you that I will pay for all the damages and medical bills, as all of them are my responsibility since I am the owner, but as my dear Hektor must have dealt you and the people a great deal of fright judging from seeing you cornered by him in that alley, I wish to make it up to you in any way I can," she said, shortly before standing up straight. Tatsumi got a good look at her face as he scratched his head. She was...cute, for an officer in the Wehrmacht. Her wide, amber eyes were locked with his. She was awaiting his response with a nervous, sorry face. Her hands were crossed in front of her as she leaned forward, giving her the look of a young girl curiously expecting him to say something to her.

Except that she was in a military uniform. And a Nazi.

Tatsumi was flustered.

 _"This girl is an officer?! She looks so young!"_ he thought. Looks like the Germans have a lot of cute, female officers in their ranks. If Esdeath didn't convince him already, then this girl did!

"Ermm...I uh...i-it's okay. Your uhhh...Panzer-Hund didn't hurt me or anything of th-the sort."

"Are you sure? What's that on your face then? It looks like a bruise..." she said as she took a step closer and looked closely at his face. Tatsumi blushed even harder out of embarrassment. There were so many people looking at them! Here he is standing in the middle of the road with a cute, female German officer looking at his face with concern. Who wouldn't get flustered in this situation?

"O-Oh! This-uhhhh-this isn't a bruise," he said as he as he wiped the spot of dirt off. "See? Ahahaha..."

The officer sighed in relief.

"Thank the Fuhrer you aren't hurt...I knew Hektor was a good boy! *sigh* He loves chasing stuff though. I knew I should have been around when they released him from his box..."

"WAIT. So Hektor was in _that_ box?!" Tatsumi thought as he remembered the large box carried by the Nazi helicopters earlier.

"Were you guys the ones in that helicopter that passed here earlier?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes! This is the same helicopter in fact, kamerad!" she said as she pointed to the chopper.

"Ach! Why am I forgetting my manners? We've been talking for so long and I still haven't introduced myself...they're going to be so disappointed with me..."

The officer covered her face with her hands in disappointment and self-pity for herself.

"It's okay, ma'am. I should be the one angry at myself for not acknowledging your superior rank instead," Tatsumi said to her.

"What? What do you mean?"

Tatsumi stood at attention and saluted.

"Private Tatsumi Tojo of the 2nd Rifle Infantry Brigade of the Imperial Japanese Army, ma'am!" he said putting his hand down.

"I'm currently on leave because of the reorganization of units for the big plan we're going to participate in with you guys."

"Oh, so you're a soldier? Then I should be more disappointed! I technically threatened a member of an ally of the Reich with a dangerous weapon..." she replied, looking sad once again.

"Please don't be, ma'am! Your dog actually wanted a pat from me when he couldn't find that cat he was chasing."

"Hmmm? He did?"

"Well...yeah."

She turned to Hektor.

"Is that true?" she asked the Panzerhund. Hektor quickly responded with two cheerful barks.

"If you don't mind me asking, what does that mean?"

"That means he likes you!"

Tatsumi's eyes widened as he covered his mouth in disbelief. "Really?!"

"Uh huh! If Hektor trusts you then that means I can too," she said as she smiled.

"Oh. Before I forget. I'm Haupsturmfurher Sehryu Algegenwartig. Nice to meet you, Private Tojo!"

* * *

 **Translations of Foreign Words:**

 _Kaibutsu_ \- Hiragana for "Monster" (There is no Katakana in this universe).

 _Folge meiner stimme_ \- Follow my voice.

 _Wo bist du?_ \- Where are you?


End file.
